The present invention relates generally to a portable drinking device that allows a user to quickly consume a beverage which is usually contained in a pressurized can and the method for using the same.
“Shotgunning” is a well-known method of quickly consuming a beverage from a pressurized can by punching a hole in the side of the can. In that method, the pressurized can is usually held in a horizontal direction and tilted slightly. A small hole is punched in the side of the can close to the bottom ideally puncturing the can in the air pocket which results from the slight tilt of the can. The hole can be made with any sharp object such as a key, bottle opener, pen, knife, or the like. After the hole is punched, the user then places his or her mouth over the hole while rotating the can to an upright position. The user then pulls the tab on the can and the pressurized liquid quickly drains through the hole into the user's mouth.
U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2009/0120968 A1 discloses a device having multiple purposes, including serving as a fast pour beverage tap. That tubular device contains a piercing end at one end and a mouthpiece on the other. The piercing end is designed to puncture a pressurized can or bottle and remain in the can or bottle. After puncturing, the mouthpiece end is inserted into a user's mouth and the tab on the can is pulled causing a high speed gravity release of liquid. The tubular device may also be used as a smoking apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,784,361 discloses a more sophisticated device described as an electronic fluid dispensing apparatus having a tube with a funnel connected at one end and a differential pressure sensor at the other. An additional tube is attached to the first tube in the vicinity of the sensor. When a fluid is poured into the funnel, it passes through the tube and, by way of the sensor, the flow of fluid through the additional tube is controlled.
Consumption of beverages by such methods and using such devices has been prevalent primarily among college students and young adults as an alternative method of consuming beverages quickly and, in several instances, as part of a drinking game. Traditional shotgunning methods and known devices usually result in the aeration of the beverage causing more foam and bubbles than is desired. In addition, a certain amount of spillage still occurs after the tab on the can is pulled because the pressure at which the fluid flows out of the can through the location of the puncture is very rapid.
The present invention provides a simple and portable drinking device which addresses the problems associated with known methods and devices and reduces the amount of aeration and spillage which occurs with known devices.